FaR‑RMS is a long‑term research study for children and adults who have rhabdomyosarcoma (RMS), whether it is newly diagnosed or has come back after treatment.
The study is designed to test several different treatment questions over time, so new treatment options can be added as research develops.
FaR‑RMS aims to find better ways to treat RMS by exploring several key areas:
New medicines:
Testing new drug combinations for both newly diagnosed and relapsed RMS.Maintenance treatment:
Finding out whether giving maintenance therapy for a shorter or longer time affects how well treatment works.Radiotherapy improvements:
Investigating whether changes to the dose, timing, or body areas treated—especially in patients whose cancer has spread—can improve results and quality of life.Better ways to assess risk:
Instead of relying mainly on how the tumour looks under a microscope, the study will look at whether a specific gene change (called PAX‑FOXO1) gives clearer information about someone’s risk level.Better ways to measure treatment response:
Exploring whether FDG PET‑CT scans can help predict how well a patient might do after their initial (induction) chemotherapy.
- Patients who are newly diagnosed should ideally join the study before starting chemotherapy.
- Patients starting radiotherapy or maintenance treatment can also join, even if they didn’t enter the study earlier.
- Patients whose cancer has returned (relapsed) can join at the time of relapse.
- Depending on their situation and risk group, some patients may take part in more than one part (or “arm”) of the study.
Rhabdomyosarcoma is a rare cancer, and improving treatment requires collaboration and ongoing research. FaR‑RMS aims to:
- Offer access to new and promising treatments
- Personalise treatment by better understanding risk
- Improve survival and quality of life
- Adapt quickly as new scientific evidence becomes available
In simple terms:
FaR‑RMS is a flexible, long‑running research study designed to help find the best possible treatments for people with rhabdomyosarcoma—both now and in the future.